The Next Generation
by Viceroy Elf
Summary: It's a bright future, but there's still plenty of crime to be fought. Our heroes of yesterday have grown out of their prime, and leave new heroes to make the world a better place. But they still make time to be a family. Non-linear storytelling at its finest. Mostly one shots. New characters will be added as I make them.
1. Discovery

Discoveries

They weren't supposed to be awake so late, but they couldn't sleep. Their mother was away on business, and their father was staying out particularly late. With no one to tuck them in, neither of them could get to sleep.

So, alone in the den of their rather extravagant home, Mary and Soniand'r Grayson sat patiently awaiting their father's return.

Their parents stayed out late often, but not until now had they thought to wonder why.

Their family owned a theatre house; show casing the most extravagant performances in the city. Their wealth was substantial, but the job shouldn't call for such late nights.

And they always made sure Sonny and Marmar were asleep before leaving. "I'm sorry. An emergency suddenly came up." Their father said.

The sound of their front door opening suddenly startled them. Their faces lit up at the prospect of greeting their father with warm embraces.

However, upon reaching the door, and seeing their father, their faces fell.

He was clad in black tights with blue accents. His long hair was ratty and matted, and red stained his face. In his hands dangled a black domino mask with white lenses.

"Daddy…?" Little Mary could hardly believe the beating man limping into their house was her father.

But, as he approached the kids, and brought them into an embrace, both her and her brother felt an all too familiar warmth, despite the scent of blood and sweat emanating off of him.

"Are you alright, dad? What happened?"

Richard Grayson rubbed his son's hair. "We've got a few things to talk about kids, but first, you remember when I taught you both about the first aid kit?"

They made no attempt to hide from him their more extravagant escapades. They never got around to outright telling him either. He would start to put the pieces together eventually, and until that day came, they would allow him to live in blissful ignorance of the danger that surrounded his parent.

But that day would come, and Garfield and Raven Logan, that day was today, as they sat down with their son for a lovely dinner.

"Mom, are you Raven?"

She stopped eating, her fork full of pasta halting mere centimeters before reaching her lips.

"Like, I know that's your name, but the like the super hero lady. I mean she has magic, and you have magic, you know?" The words came from his mouth so casually, and his parents honestly weren't expecting such a lax reveal. It was hard to believe that this moment of all moments would be one of very few where drama didn't accompany it.

"Yes, Marcus. And since you figured that out, I'm sure you've guessed that your father is."

"He's Mister Managerie, I figured that out a while ago."

Garfield almost choked on his salad.

"I mean, obviously, I've seen dad turning into animals, just like Double M can."

Regaining his composure, Garfield spoke to his son. "Geez little man. You coulda said something. How come you kept quiet?"

Marcus shrugged. "In dunno. You didn't ever tell me, didn't think it mattered if I knew."

Raven cleared her throat. "So, if that's the case, are you saying you weren't sure about me?"

"Well Raven on the TV always wears that hood, and she seems a lot more angry than you. I mean, you're kind of a grump but you're always nice to me and Dad."

Raven's brows furrowed about the 'kind of a grump' comment, and pretended not to notice her husband fail to contain a small laugh.

"But I wanted to make sure, because I didn't think you've like Dad going out and fighting crime with another lady."

Now it was Garfield's turn to be embarrassed.

_Because that'll totally happen _Raven thought with a wry smile.

"Uh, anyway kid, since you knew, you didn't tell anyone about us, right?"

Marcus' ebrows rose quickly. "Well, duh, no I didn't. In my comic books you're never supposed to tell someone a superhero's secret identity."

Both parents let out a sigh of relief.

"So, you're okay? With knowing about all this?"

Marcus gave a wide grin, a bottom fang protruding from his lips. "Totally! My parents are superheroes!"

The family shared a laugh, and dinner continued as usual.

Until…

"So when can I start being a superhero?"

…

Mr. and Mrs. Logan much preferred when their son didn't know about their double lives, all of a sudden.


	2. Quality Time

Quality Time

"On your feet."

Red hair stuck to her face, drenched in sweat. Eyes filled with content glared at the figure some feet in front of her. "It's been three hours."

"Smaller things than you have fought longer. This is endurance training, you have to outlast me. So if you won't get on your feet," he began to approach her, "I'll kick you while you're down."

Mary rose to her feet just before her father could assault her. His punches and kicks came out her as fast as bullets, and with twice as much force. It was all she could do to keep dodging.

They both knew she wasn't going to last. That was the real test; they were exerting the same amount of effort, but his body could go for much longer than hers. Which meant she would have to make him work harder.

"What're you holding back for?" she asks. "The bad guys'll be trying to dislodge my brain, you're gonna have to try harder."

He knew what she was doing. His pace did not increase. She would have to try something else.

"You know, you haven't been able to hit me but twice. Maybe you're slowing down in your old age." She knew talking was wasting her breath, but she was running on fumes as it is.

"Maybe I oughta train with someone who's not three feet into the grave."

Her father's eyes narrowed.

"Maybe Uncle Damien could help. Show me a few new moves."

At the mention of the demon spawn currently wearing the red and green, her father flew into a frenzy. He would never admit it, but nothing boiled his blood like the mention of Damien Wayne.

And he punched harder, and faster, but never fast enough to keep up with his daughter.

All too soon, he was covered in more sweat than she was. His flurry of punches and kicks slowed with every second.

At which point it was all too easy. A thunderous clapping noise sounded through the training room, as Mary delivered a devastating round house kick to her father's face.

Writhing on the ground, father looked up at daughter, as Mary struck a triumphant pose.

She smiled at him. "On your feet."

"Are you sure you are ready?"

"Yes mother."

"It is a most trying task."

"Your concerns do not fall on deaf ears mother. I'll be fine."

"Please. Please be safe."

Kori brought her son into a warm embrace, her eyes watering slightly.

Koriand'r and her sibling had been born into the warrior class of her people. Flight, even greater strength than the average Tameranean, and the ability to even convert energy reserves into projectiles, were abilities gifted to these individuals.

However, simply being born with the abilities does not guarantee one's acceptance into this branch. Tests and trials are arranged to develop these gifts, as well as ensure loyalty to the planet.

Sonny had already received some animosity do to the circumstances of his birth. It was only due to his mother's caretaker's position of power that he was even allowed to participate in the warriors' tests.

Today was the day Kori had been fearing since her little boy started to float out of his high chair.

It was the final task of a warrior to defeat a leviathan beast known on Tameran as a Great Tragsnar. They were captured and kept captive solely to continue the tradition of being used to become recognized in the warrior class.

Sonny entered the arena. He watched the massive gates open, and stiffened slightly at the sight of the creature.

It thromped into the arena and its beady eyes locking on to Sonny. With a blood curdling roar, the creature charged toward him on six legs, its jaws gnashing together. Sonny kept is distance from the beast, assaulting it with star bolts. Thick as its hide was, the scorch marks left behind by the starbolts did not go unnoticed. This anger-driven beast squawed and growled as the flying man.

Sonny led the creature into the walls of the arena. He scorched its exterior. He crashed himself into the creature's side like a living projectile. Soon the beast was tired, and slow. Sonny himself was breathing heavy, and there were tears in his tunic where narrowly avoiding claws and teeth became too narrow. Still, it was clear.

He looked into the creature's eyes. Angry, with no direction or intent. This beast was scared and aggressive. This beast was acting under his own intentions no more than… than Sonny himself was.

The beast charged forward. Sunny flew toward the creature, and, energy bursting from his hands, brought his fists to the creature's shoulder. The beast howled in pain and toppled over. Its breath was heavy, and thought it was more than capable of moving on its other legs, it was unable to do so in such an exhausted state.

Sonny looked back to the Elder Tameraneans. They had expectant expressions on their faces. He was expected to kill the creature.

But he wasn't here because it was expected of him. He didn't begin these trials because it was expected of him. Everything he had done, he'd done because he wanted to do so. And he didn't want to kill this creature.

"Will you not slay the beast?" they called from their seats. His mother sat with them, a worried look on her face.

He flew to them, leaving the creature to rest.

"The Tragsnar couldn't best me. Is that not enough of you?"

"This is a test of loyalty. To prove your loyalty to your kind, you simply need complete this task."

Sonny thought hard about their words. But he found he didn't have to think very long. He spoke softly, and calmly. "I don't act out of loyalty. I act out of an obligation to do what is right. At this moment, there is nothing right about killing the beast. To be frank, I don't find much at all to be 'right' about these tests."

Sonny not dare look at his mother, fearful of what her reaction must be.

"I want to be a part of this culture, to be accepted by my people. I want to be Tameranean. But I'm afraid I can't be Tameranean, if this is what a Tameranean does. I'm sorry."

Soniand'r flew out of the arena, leaving the Elders to talk amongst themselves. After he was far out of their earshot, he felt another hand grab his own. Turning quickly to defend himself, he was more than surprised to find his mother bringing him into a quite literally breath-taking embrace.

"Mom… can't… BREATH" he coughed out.

Tears streaking down her face, Kori pulled him from her. "Oh thank z'hall you are unharmed. If you had been hurt I might have torn down the arena itself. You are the most important thing in the world to me do not scare me in such ways ever again!" was most of what Sonny could gather from his mother's crying babble.

She finally stopped to take a teary-eyed look at her boy. Her very confused looking boy.

"You look as though you were expecting something that did not happen." She said.

"You're… not mad? About what I just did."

Kori smiled and rubbed her eyes. "Soni, when I was young, I came to a similar conclusion that you have come to today. Tameran would always be my home, but I found that the life I would have come to live did not suit me. Let me share you this wisdom; you are you. You would do well to surround yourself with people who would never expect that to change. Now, let us return to our home. When the elders come to their conclusion, they will have to deliver it to us."

And so the two fled into the sky.

"I'm really just not sure about this, mom."

In the garden behind their home, Raven sat with her son, both in lotus position. On his mother's insistence, Marcus was to begin regular meditation sessions. She told him the truth when she said meditation would help him control the magical abilities, but more so she wanted her son to spend some time with her for once. Marcus suspected this, but would never dare bring it up with her.

"We haven't even begun yet. Meditation will aid you in connecting your body to your mind, where the source of your magic is. The stronger the connection of body and mind, the more control over your magic."

Raven closed her eyes, and pinched her thumbs to her index fingers. "You don't have to follow my position. As you practice you will find your own position. Just do what comes naturally."

Marcus closed his eyes, and rested his hands on his thighs. He tried to keep his head clear. Tried not to think about anything. Tried not to think about thinking about things. Tried not to think about thinking about not thinking about-"

"Stop."

Marcus' eyes shot open. "What?"

"I can feel you blocking yourself."

"Well you said to clear my mind."

"The implication being that it is normally cluttered. Don't think of this as something that you initiate. It is something that will happen to you. It is an experience. This is not a relaxing hobby. It is a ritual. Your soul will stir in your body, and your mind will writhe. Without moving a muscle, your body will know what it is to lift a mountain. Simply let the ritual take place.

"It's not a state of mid it's a state of being."

Marcus' eyes widened at his mother's words.

And so he closed his eyes again. He rested his hands against his thighs. And he waited. He felt his chest rise and fall with his breath. He felt the breeze on his skin. He felt the world continue to spin with no interruption. His thoughts flowed, no beginning or end, nothing stopping as he experienced the uninterrupted flow of happenings in the world around him.

And this feeling began to expand. He could feel the flow of ambient magical energy as it flowed into his body and swirled in his mind. Hid muscles tensed, his head spun. The feeling was indescribable.

His eyes opened slowly. His mother was suspended in lotus position above him.

"It's never easy the first time."

"It was… incredible." Marcus managed to say. "How… how long have I…?"

"About an hour."

"Felt like days."

"If you continue to practice, it'll become an enlightening experience." Raven unfolded her legs and stood where she once sat. She offered a hand to her son, who took it and hoisted himself up. At 14, he was already up to her height, and his growth showed no signs of stopping, much to her chagrin. He was growing up right in front of her.

She placed her hands on her son's shoulders, and brought him into a close embrace. "I'm very proud of you. You're going to do great things."

Marcus knew too well of his mother's difficulty dealing with intimacy, and reveled in it. He returned the hug with more vigor, listing her up on the ground. "Thanks mom."

Raven's smiled brighter. The enthusiasm in her son reminded her of a certain other green skinned man.

Speaking of which…

"Hey, you two done out here? Ready for a run, Marc?"

Garfield saw his wife and son out in the garden. The aforementioned 'run' was actually a feral prowl through twenty miles of thick brush before a swim through the rapids. Garfield's quality time was spent showing him how to connect with his inner animal.

"Actually dad, I'm not really up for the run today." Said Marcus, exasperated. much to his father's confusion. But, he saw his son with an arm around His mother's shoulders, and the smile on her face.

Garfield sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Ahh, you know, I was gonna meet Uncle Vic for something. Figure I could head out early. Your mom should be able to help you with exercise later."

Garfield shot his wife a reassuring look, and she responded with a grateful smile.

Garfield took his leave, and Raven turned to her son. "You're feeling something akin to whiplash. You're going to be very tired for a while."

She walked with her son back into their home. "And the best cure? Warm herbal tea."

Marcus did his best to give Raven a smile. "Thanks mom."

He still wasn't quite sure how to let his mother know that he really didn't like tea.


End file.
